Robot Wars starring in Edinburgh shop demolition

Published on Tuesday 21 December 2010 09:01

DEMOLISHING a former department store sandwiched between two buildings on the Capital's busiest shopping street is a daunting task even for seasoned experts.

• A Brokk 90 moves rubble at the former M&A on Princes Street

The thought of a demolition ball swinging across Princes Street and ploughing into the former M&S store - soon to be Primark - obviously wasn't an option. Instead the builders have brought in the latest in robot technology to demolish the building from the inside.

Four remote-controlled Brokk 90s - which weigh a tonne each - are now tearing their way through the existing building to minimise disruption on street level and avoid disturbing shoppers.

The site will be home to the new 75,000 sq ft store bringing 600 jobs to Edinburgh next winter, when the 30 million project is complete.

Barrie Henderson, site manager for the Patton Group, which is overseeing the construction of the new store, said the machines were quickly becoming the "unsung heroes" of the project.

He said: "Most people don't see the full extent of the work that actually goes into a project like the Princes Street Primark store.

"I think it would come as a surprise to many shoppers in Edinburgh to find out that there is a team of robots behind the scenes that are busy bringing down the building.

"It's always important to minimise danger and ensure that everyone on site is as safe as possible, so these machines are perfect for this.

"They reduce the risk of injury, as they are remotely operated, and ensure that we can safely control the number of people who are physically working on the site at any time.

"By using state-of-the-art equipment like this, we can also ensure the site is as risk free as possible for neighbouring businesses and passers-by and we are delighted with the results so far. The robots have already deconstructed two-thirds of the building and we are on course to begin the next phase of the project in the new year."

The robots, which are made in Sweden, can climb up stairs and can be fitted with a variety of tools, including a hammer, bucket, grapple and "mulcher" for crushing.

The added benefit of using robots is that historic buildings in the area will not suffer any vibration damage.

Andy Smilie, operations manager at Safedem Ltd, which supplies the robots, said that the machines were not only improving safety for workers, but were also reducing any risk for neighbouring businesses.

He said: "The challenge with the Primark project in Princes Street is that it is a narrow site surrounded by other historic buildings. We are currently removing an average of 150 tonnes of rubble and steel from site every single day and have to be very careful during the demolition work to ensure that the adjacent buildings are protected while the site is being deconstructed, which is why we have the robots performing the bulk of the work.

"It's a very precise method of deconstruction that is much more efficient than having teams of contractors demolishing the structure by hand."